Instep-support.



M. J. OROURKE.

INSTEP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED rmms, 1913 1,081,057, 7 Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

$01121 @5868 [raven/t0 7": I MJ: 0B our/a0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL J. OBO'URKE, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSTEP-SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. ORQURKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Instep-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a more eflicient form of instep support for shoes than has heretofore been produced, and one which performs its cities at the time when most needed; that is, when the weight of the wearer is supported upon his feet.

The support is designed for external application to a shoe and is of simple construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one form of my invention and have shown the manner in which the same is applied to a shoe.

Figure 1 represents a side view of a shoe having my novel and improved instep support applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the support detached from the shoe. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the support.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the figures.

The instep support consists of three essential elements, namely, a plate a, a tongue Z) and a web 0 connecting the tongue and plate. The plate is provided with nail holes (Z, as shown in Fig. 2. The preferred form of the support is that shown in the drawings in which the web 0 is angularly disposed with respect both to the plate a and the tongue Z). The plate and tongue are approximately parallel to each other and project in opposite directions from the web.

In applying the support to the shoe for use, the plate a is inserted into the heel, being confined between the upper and lower parts of the heel as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and being secured by nails which pass through the holes (Z. The support is so applied that the web 0 extends upwardly from the end of the plate which projects from the breast face of the heel, and in consequence the web lies near the breast of the heel and projects upwardly toward the shank of the shoe sole. The tongue 5 eX- tends forwardly from the web and bears against the under side of the shank.

There is no fastening whatever between the tongue and the shoe s0le,but the support Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 25', 1913.

Patented Dec. 9,1913.

Serial No. 750,505.

is held entirely by the heel into which the plate a extends far enough and within which it has a sulliciently wide extent to be securely, rigidly and immovably fastened. The tongue b is resilient and pressed upwardly on the under face of the shoe shank with a yielding pressure so as to support and rest the instep of the wearers foot. As there is no fastening between the tongue and the shoe shank, but the tongue is entirely free, there is opportunity for perfect free dom of movement of the sole or the tongue relatively to each other so that the shoe sole may yield to accommodate the movements of the wearers foot in walking while the tongue is yet constantly active to support the instep of the wearers foot whenever the weight of the wearer is borne on the foot. The tongue is preferably made concave at its forward end, as indicated in the drawings, so as to conform. to the convex transverse curvature which is ordinarily given to the shank part of a shoe sole and thereby apply pressure over as much of the shank as necessary.

Vithout limiting myself to the material of which the support may be made, I will say that I prefer to make it of steel, as that material has sufficient elasticity and stilfi'iess for my purpose without being too bulky and heavy. I prefer also to make the entire support in one piece, so that the plate a, web 0 and tongue 6 are all integrally united.

A support embodying the principles of my invention may be designed for all styles and makes of shoes, and variations in the dimensions and proportions of the support as a whole and of its component parts may he made without departing from the invention. That is, the plate and tongue may be made longer or shorter for different sizes of shoes, and the web 0 may have greater or less height for different styles of shoes having higher or lower heels. It is not essei'itial to the invention, however, that the web 0 should appear as an oif-set angular-1y disposed piece, as it would not be a departure from the invention to arrange the tongue in substantially or nearly the same plane with the plate, a support thus made having its plate portion confined between the heel and the heel seat of the shoe.

The arch supports heretofore commonly used are designed to be placed inside of a shoe, but in being used in this manner they occupy some of the space within the shoe required for the foot. Thus, in order to accommodate an inserted arch support, the shoe must be larger than necessary to fit the foot. My arch support, by being placed on the outside of the shoe, enables the user to purchase shoes exactly fitting his feet and to have the benefit of the arch support at the same time.

I am aware that suggestions have been made to provide external arch supports and shank stiffeners which are applied to the under side of a shoe sole at the shank part thereof. All such sug ested supports or stiffcners as have come to my notice are rigid, by virtue either of their construction or their mode of attachment to the shoe. My arch support, on the contrary, is not rigid but is resiliently yielding, on account of the fact that it is not attached to the shank of the shoe sole but merely presses upwardly on the under side thereof in a yielding manner which permits freedom of relative movement between the shank and support in any direction in which there may be a tendency for such movement to occur during the act of walking. That is, the only connection between the support and the shoe being in the heel, and that connection being amply rigid and secure, the resilient tongue is adapted to slide along the shank of the shoe when pressure of the foot is applied or relieved, thereby permitting aerfect iiexibility and maintaining an upward pressure of uniform value at all times. The suggested forms of external arch supports, to which i have previously referred, do not make provision for any relative movement, and are not elastic and flexible, but are rigid and inflexible. When the arch of a persons foot has fallen, the treatment to raise the arch and relieve pain requires an apparatus which is capable of moving and yielding to accommodate itself to the movements of the foot in different positions of the foot in standing and walking. My arch support permits of this flexibility and free move ment and is the only external arch support yet designed, so far as 1 possesses these qualities.

.Vhcn bending takes place in the shank of the shoe, so that there are changes in the angular relation between the heel and the forepart of the shoe, the instep support, being rigidly connected with the heel, takes am aware, which the movements of the latter. Thus, when the foot is planted squarely on the ground, the heel is brought parallel with the forepart of the shoe, that is in line with the forepart, and the resilient tongue is thereby pressed upwardly against the instep. Thus, when the weight is applied to the feet planted squarely on the ground, the instep support is caused by the action of the weight to press upwardly with its maximum efiiciency against the instep, thereby giving the greatest amount of support when the same is most needed. At other times, when the weight is relieved from the foot, the forepart of the foot and shoe are bent upwardly and the pressure of the instep support may be relieved, allowing the instep of the foot to be relieved of pressure and to rest when the need for upward or supporting pressure does not exist.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a shoe including in its construction an outer sole having a shank portion and a rigidly attached heel, and an instep support rigidly secured to the heel and having a tongue projecting therefrom forwardly and upwardly to bear with a re-' silient pressure against the under side of the outer sole at the shank portion thereof, said support being incapable of movement relatively to the heel, and its tongue being free to move relatively to the sole.

2. The combination with a shoe having an outer sole and a rigidly attached heel, of an instep support comprising a plate located between the top and bottom of the heel and rigidly connected thereto so as to be incapable of movement with relation to the heel, said support having also a web extending upwardly adjacent to the breast face of the heel toward the shank portion of the said outer sole, and having also a tongue projecting forwardly from said web along the under surface of the said outer sole and under sufiicient tension to cause it to press upwardly against the same, said tongue being free with respect to the sole and capable of moving relatively thereto.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL J. OROURKE. l Vitnesses ARTHUR H. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, I). G. 

